Well, dear readers, this week has flown by, like a gazelle with a draggin’ tattoo. Have you ever seen a draggin’ tattoo? Frankly, a draggin’ tattoo is a bit of a drag. It’s okay on a gazelle, but last night I saw a girl with a draggin’ tattoo on Blu and Ray, but more about that later, because I don’t want these here notes to be draggin’ like the draggin’ tattoo (oottat, spelled backwards).
Well, we’re off to a rousing start, aren’t we? This is like the 76 Trombones of notes. Where was I? Oh, yes, I remember, writing these here notes. May I first remind everyone that there is a book signing on Sunday and it would make me very happy if there were actual people in attendance – oh, we’ll have a few, but the more the merrier so if you’re in the LA area or environs you really must come down and visit and eat CAKE. Buying a book is not a necessity. May I also remind everyone that a week after the book signing is the Melody Hollis show at The Federal. Again, if you’re around you really must come – we’ve put in new material and it’s also a celebration of the youngster’s fourteenth birthday. We’re actually going to record it, just to have the new material, and we’ll be making those songs available as downloads, just so you can hear them. The show is a lot of fun, and there will be a lot of fun folks in attendance, including our very own Mr. Richard M. Sherman and his ever-lovin’ Elizabeth. They love Melody, and she, of course, sings a Sherman Brothers medley in the show. So, make your reservations if you haven’t. For full details, just search Melody’s name on Facebook and you’ll find the event page.
Yesterday was a perfectly pleasant day. For example, I got up. That was perfectly pleasant. I did some work on the computer, had a brief visit with someone from the STAGE benefit, which we’ll be recording a week from tomorrow, then I had a salad, a bagel, and some sweet potato fries as my meal o’ the day. After that, I picked up a couple of packages, then made CDRs for the singers, who’ll be picking them up throughout the course of this very day. After all that, I figured I was due a little ME time, so I sat on my couch like so much fish, where I recited the story of The Randy Vicar and the Pez Dispenser.
Yesterday, I finished watching Buck Privates. It’s got some wonderful comedy in it, but too much time with supporting characters and not quite enough with Abbott and Costello. The musical interludes with the Andrews Sisters are fun, though. I also watched the little Jerry Seinfeld Meets Abbott and Costello thing that’s included as an extra. Aside from the fact that it is one of the most amateurishly directed things ever and aside from the fact that Mr. Seinfeld is awkward as all get out (and I think we all know how awkward all get out it), the clips make it very worthwhile watching – some truly hilarious stuff.
I then decided to watch the Blu and Ray of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – I’d seen the film at a friend’s house, but it was one of the Academy screeners on DVD and blown up on his big screen it really didn’t look good. Even though I’m a huge fan of the extended Swedish version, I wanted to like the American version, especially as everyone said it was so much closer to the book. Well, not quite. It is, in fact, very similar to the original Swedish film – it does add the character of the leading man’s daughter, but that takes up all of two minutes screen time and you don’t really learn much about her or their relationship. They do make her responsible for one piece of information that helps her father. It’s certainly well made and Rooney Mara is very good as Lisbeth, although Noomi Rapace will always be the one for me. Even though every single person in the movie is attempting some sort of vague Swedish-flavored accent, Mr. Daniel Craig apparently didn’t want to or couldn’t and it’s quite silly to have him speaking with his English accent all the time. Mr. Fincher almost willfully blows three great sequences by giving too much information too soon – those three moments are brilliant in the original film and why he would choose to blow them is anyone’s guess. One has to do with the horrifying scene with Lisbeth and the guy she has to report to. Because she’s smart, after the ordeal she’s ultimately able to exact wonderful revenge, but we don’t know that until a scene or two later. But Mr. Fincher dollies in to a prop so that there’s no mistaking the fact that she’ll be able to extract her revenge – not nearly as satisfying as giving us that information later. The same thing happens in the scene where Mr. Craig is about to meet his maker – in the original what happens is a surprise. Here, it’s revealed in advance so, again, not nearly as satisfying. Then, apparently the people who think this sticks much closer to the book forgot all about the fact that they changed the ending and not in a good way – just a typical Hollywood switcheroo that was completely unnecessary. And then the third moment happens, which should be one of the emotional high points of the film, but again Fincher telegraphs it in advance, robbing completely the emotion of it. Then again, Mr. Fincher seems to have a problem with emotion. I liked it a little better the second time, but it is nowhere near as good as the original Swedish, and if you haven’t seen that one, you owe it to yourself to seek out the extended version – actually of all three films, which are available in one reasonably-priced box set right here in the United States of America. The transfer is fine – shot on digital, a look I simply don’t like.
After that, I did some more work on the computer. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep so that I’m not the boy with the draggin’ buttcheeks.
Today, I shall be up early and our musical director and singers will be coming to get their stuff. I’ll also do errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, and then we have a Melody rehearsal, after which I’m sure I will be eating something soft.
Tomorrow, I may or may not have a little lunch meeting, otherwise it could conceivably be a ME day, which I’d like. Sunday is the book signing, a Melody rehearsal, and a meal. Then next week is very busy, with Melody rehearsals, prepping the recording of the STAGE show, meetings, meals, and stuff.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, give singers and our MD their stuff, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, have a rehearsal, and eat. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, two Felix Slatkin movie theme albums on one CD. Blu and Ray, Pal Joey, Miracle in Milan, and Bite the Bullet. Your turn. Let’s have load of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I will get up and hopefully not be draggin’.